


The Rain, It Never Stops

by Meleth_nin



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics), Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Gen, Titans 1x6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-02
Packaged: 2020-06-02 16:30:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19445269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meleth_nin/pseuds/Meleth_nin
Summary: At the end of Titans 1x6 , Dick and Jason talk. Where is the line between justice and revenge? Dick thinks he crossed that line and paid the price; he would prefer it if his replacement didn't damage himself the same way.





	The Rain, It Never Stops

**Author's Note:**

> Japan's Ghosts came on my playlist while I was writing this and it felt particularly poignant. The words echoed the headspace that Dick seemed to occupy the early half of the season. 
> 
> When the room is quiet  
> The daylight almost gone  
> It seems there's something I should know  
> Well I ought to leave but the rain it never stops  
> And I've no particular place to go.

Dick watched stunned. Robin had just gone berserk on a group of policemen. Had he killed them? Dick thought he might have heard some bones break there. This was Bruce's new Robin. This young man wearing Dick's colours and assaulting a handful of cops who had probably been dispatched to attend complaints of disturbance by the warehouse. This was who Bruce had replaced Dick with? 

Dick had stood by and watched Zucco murdered. He had clashed with Bruce after. Dick signed. He was really not in the mood or the place to think about that argument. Or the series of arguments after. While it was not what caused the relationship between Bruce and Dick to sour, it definitely made it worse. The self-doubt and self-recriminations didn't help. Dick had to move away. Dick struggled to figure if Bruce's campaign of justice had corrupted Dick or this was all Dick and it was rather he, who had corrupted Bruce. Every time they spoke, their conversations devolved into arguments - scathing, and devastating. Hadn’t they known each other as no other two partners were familiar with the depth of the other's soul? 

Death had brought them together. Death had broken them apart. And a petulant part of Dick, the little boy in him who had watched his beloved parents fall to their deaths, who had been ripped apart from the only family he had ever known, that little boy sneered at him in satisfaction. That little boy took a second to enjoy the satisfaction of letting down Bruce. His parents wouldn't enjoy seeing Dick shred himself over his indecision, his uncertainty, his momentary surrender to a primal emotion.

And now he had watched this kid, masquerading in his colours, become judge, jury and executioner to a set of cops in a city on the other side of the country. 

Dick had been stuck in a maelstrom of emotions ever since Jason had arrived. For a singular moment, however, Dick felt a spike of clarity hit him. Dick glared as the boy, as Jason sauntered up to him with a smirk that never actually seemed to leave his face; an uncharitable part of Dick mocked that Bruce had probably taken in the boy before Dick had even left Gotham. 

Dick could only stare at the boy's back. Really? That's it? 

"Jason. Wait." 

"what! Listen, I don't know what your deal is, man, but I don't see why the old man keeps on about you so much." 

Did...did Bruce talk to this kid about him? "Let's get out of here first, okay." 

The boy snorted and shook his head, but then walked out with Dick. Together, they took to grappling and flying; only stopping when they reached the Clock Tower.  
“This tower houses the second largest four sided clock in the world.” Dick said before he could stop himself. 

He grimaced even as Jason cocked his head and sneered at him. “You google that while flying?” Dick shrugged; leaned over the parapet, looked across the city. "What if Bruce hears?" 

"You think Bruce would believe you?" Jason snorted. 

"Come on Jason, don't tell me B didn't make a 2 hour presentation on excessive force and killing!" 

"As I said, I don’t see B here. Do you?" 

"Gotham PD is corrupt, Jason. I believe you when you say they bullied you and the other kids in the Narrows. Those kids helped me out sometimes and I heard enough stories about the force. Robin has taken down beat cops and even a detective bullying the kids."

"You were not very good then. I know of cops who brought street rats to dealers." Jason was looking at Dick. "You are a detective. Of course, you would be on their side!" 

"No Jason. You think you know me." 

Dick cocked his head as he looked, really looked, at Jason. "I grew up in the circus, Jason. Institutions didn't mean anything to me. My education was the circus. The circus took care of my fevers. I played with the circus animals and other circus folk. Reading books..." 

A laugh bubbled out of Dick. He was smiling now. Thinking of his first family always brought out desperate feelings in him. Of chasing after fireflies. A life that could have been happy and content. It was a mere mirage now. After his parents were murdered, the court put him in the juvenile system because they couldn't find a family to place him with over the weekend. It was meant to be only for the weekend, but then they had forgotten about him. 

"Tell me Jason. Are you feeling good?" 

Jason was snorting and now that smirk was back. "oh no no you are not playing that game with me" 

"Why not? Why not Jason? Gotham's cops harassed you but you took out your frustration on these cops, cops who don't even know you." 

"So what?! Huh? Cops are dirty everywhere. A little pain should remind them..." 

"A little pain, Jason?!" Dick prided himself on his patience. Patience was a virtue when you were partner to the Dark Knight. Patience was a virtue when you were a circus brat adopted by Gotham's richest man and everyone called you a charity case. Patience was a virtue when you were team leader to vigilantes older than you. There was something about Jason that scratched at Dick's patience. 

"Jason, you broke that guy's back, man. Do you have any evidence the man was dirty?! Do you have any evidence that man harasses kids in street alleys?" 

"He's a cop! Sure he is up to something bad" the boy scoffed. 

"Jason" The boy was pacing on the roof. He was not ready to listen. It was obvious Jason had blurred the line between Robin and Jason a long time ago. It was moot whether Bruce had noticed it. 

“Don’t confuse revenge and justice, Jason. Revenge is keeping score. I indulged in it once, I took pleasure in watching the Maronis gun down Zucco in front of me. And you are right, I lost myself that night. I don’t know who I am anymore.” 

Jason whirled around at him, “I know who I am, Dick! I am Robin and I will be a reckoning.” 

Dick sighed. He was no longer sure the boy was hearing him. His eyes were wild and desperate and he seemed lost in his own hurts. 

Into the whirlpool of emotions around them, Dick whispered “Revenge is about spite, kiddo. Justice is righting a wrong. Do you have the stomach for justice?” 

Dick shot his grapple to the top of the tower, threw a last glance at the silhouette of another lost boy and jumped away. He had his own demons to battle.


End file.
